


Two Poppies In A Field Of Corn

by a_secret_scribbler



Series: Mere Mortals [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Techienician - Fandom
Genre: Hux keeps his promises, I will find you, M/M, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Brothers Armie and Zander AKA Hux and Techie, The Force
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 15:23:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15415899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_secret_scribbler/pseuds/a_secret_scribbler
Summary: How a promise made was fulfilled.“Zander! I will find you. I promise...”





	Two Poppies In A Field Of Corn

 

 

**The beginning**

 

| 

       

| 

 

| 

 

| 

   
  
---|---|---|---|---  
  
  Given Name

| 

 Age   

| 

 Identifies

| 

 Medical Notes

| 

    Adoption Y/N      
  
 Armitage. (Armie)

 No family name on record.    

| 

8

| 

 Male

 Human             

| 

 No noticeable illnesses.

| 

Yes  
  
 Lysander (Zander)

 No family name on record. 

| 

6

| 

 Male

 Human

| 

 Mute. 

 Allergies to pollen, dust mites,

 scented soaps/toiletries, resulting in red

 itchy eyes and skin. Treatment ongoing.   

| 

No  
  
 

 

The boys arrived together one Tuesday morning, two undernourished things, dirty and unkempt, hair and eyes dull, bellies empty. They were put through the usual admission routine, bathed, bodies swabbed for lice, heads shaved, inoculations, dentistry and, only then, fed. By the time they were sitting at the table, wrapped in blankets, while suitable clothes were found, they were almost too tired to eat, almost. Armie, soaked his own bread in milk and spoon-fed it to his brother, scooping up the milky dribbles from his chin and returning the spoon to Zander’s mouth. Only when his brother refused any further nourishment did Armie shovel the remaining bread into his own mouth, greedily, eyes darting about the room, watching out for anyone who might try to steal from them.

Later, they were assigned bunk beds in a small room, where two other boys silently watched them from under their blankets, eyes wide, scared. Good, thought Armie, if they’re frightened, they’ll leave us alone. He got his wish. Pretty much every boy in the orphanage stayed away from the new boys, especially the weird one who couldn’t talk. They stuck together like glue. They had each other and no one else mattered.

 

 

On Sundays the orphanage doors were opened wide and prospective parents could view the youngsters. Armie learned to play away from the windows that lined the long wall of the yard, if no one could see them they’d be safe, he’d heard rumours about siblings being separated, and boys being sold into slavery, he must protect them both at all costs. Sadly, once their hair started to grow back, it was almost impossible to hide from anyone, Armitage and Lysander were both blessed with the most violent orange hair, they stood out like two poppies in a field of corn. One Sunday he noticed a man in military uniform and his much younger wife standing at the viewing windows, the woman had hair almost as bright as their own. Her eyes followed the two of them wherever they went, he had a sinking feeling that this week they would be the chosen ones. He was called to the door and, grabbing his brothers hand, he presented them both to the couple. The woman smiled and offered them both a sweet, the man studied them both like they were cattle in the marketplace. Armie did not let go of his brothers hand.

The following week, the man turned up alone, Armie watched as an envelope was pressed into the hand of the warden. He was beckoned over, again he brought his brother along.

“No. We don’t want the runt. He cost us a fortune in medical bills. Just the taller boy.”

Zander clung to his brother until his arms were prised from around his waist and he was locked away in a small room. He could hear Armie shouting and kicking up a storm.

“No! I won’t leave him here alone! Let me be! Get off me! Zander!! Zander!!”

The younger brother banged his tiny fists against the door until they bled, and he couldn’t hear his brother any longer. 

The last words he heard were “Zander! I will find you. I promise...”

Armie became Armitage Hux. His new mother lavished him with affection born of three miscarriages and a cold, unfaithful, husband. In time he learned to love his mother and hate his father. He was home schooled until the age of fourteen, when his father ripped him away from another pair of loving arms and deposited him into the military academy, insisting that it would toughen him up and prepare him for life in the military. After his first week, Armie learned to sleep with a knife under his pillow to ward off any unwanted attention, and to befriend the biggest boy on campus. He graduated, a year early, just short of his 19th birthday.

 

 

Lysander stayed in the orphanage three more years, waiting. He found his voice. That first week of being separated from his brother he was woken up by someone screaming Armie’s name, it took him only a few seconds to realise that the voice was his own. He still preferred to stay mute most of the time, that way people stayed away from him, and when they didn’t, he learned to fight. He was eventually fostered by a woman who ran a salvage operation, placed on a large ship, given an oily rag and told to keep quiet. This wasn’t a problem. He was befriended by a teenage boy with a missing arm, who showed him how to polish the recycled droids before they went planetside to sell. He also taught the young Zander how to read, using The Bible-Book. Some of the stories were mean, the big guy in the sky doled out a lot of punishment. Zander decided that he had been punished enough already and put the book to one side. Instead, he started pulling old circuit boards to pieces and stripping the copper wires.

By twelve he was fixing broken computers and running a small workshop for Mama. He still kept a stockpile of copper wire and at night sneaked it back to his tiny den, he twisted it into trees and animals and, on one occasion, two small boys holding hands. He kept that one, the others he traded for contraband, sweets, fizzy drinks and clothes. 

By thirteen he had lost his name. Mama referred to him only by his job title, Techie, so the other boys did too. He didn’t miss it really, Lysander only sounded nice coming from Armie’s mouth, everyone else mangled it. Some nights he would take out the delicate copper boys and whisper “Goodnight Armie. Goodnight Zander” before tucking them safely back behind the loose brick behind his pillow. 

 

 

Armitage rose through the ranks on a ruthless tide of greased palms, he became the youngest General to command his own ship, The Finalizer. He lived a spartan life, working hard, squirrelling credits, and spending his enforced leave travelling to distant planets, following cold leads and sleeping in colder beds. His brother had been fostered, he knew that. He had a name, Mama, he had the name of her salvage ship, he just couldn’t seem to get a reliable sighting.

One night, the eve of his twenty ninth birthday, he received news of a distress message from a ship one standard day away. He asked his new Captain to investigate and she came back with the news that a salvage ship was limping, having been hit by a rogue satellite, and they were requesting assistance. Hux felt his carotid pulse leap, the chances of it being the ship he was looking for was slim, but surely after 28 disappointing birthdays he was due a good one.

The stormtroopers boarded the damaged ship the following afternoon, they searched all decks until they they found what they were looking for. Captain Phasma succeeded in digging the young man out of his hiding place and carried him back to her TIE. He made no noise during the entire operation, kept his eyes closed, and clasped so tightly onto the copper wire figures in his fist that his fingers bled. 

 

 

Armitage and Lysander were reunited almost twenty years after their enforced separation. Armie did, after all, keep his promise. They stood side by side on the viewing platform of The Finalizer and watched as troops laid waste to the ship Techie had called home. Most of the crew had been rescued and would be sent for reconditioning, Mama had not been found, Phasma had made sure of that. As the ship exploded into a ball of fire, Techie flinched, seconds later he felt a reassuring hand on his back, rubbing gentle circles. Both men watched, through golden lashes, as the memory of the ship vanished into a billion, billion, pieces of space dust. When there was nothing left to see, the General, keeping a guiding hand on his younger brother, steered him away from the viewport and towards his own quarters.

“Captain. Take command. Snoke has a new apprentice arriving in the morning. Arrange a welcome committee, I will be attending.”

He turned his attention back to his brother, “Lets get you cleaned up. Are you hungry? Shall I get a droid to fetch some bread and milk?”

Techie cracked a tiny smile, “You found me” he whispered.

Hux swallowed, “I never break a promise. Now, what’s that you’ve got? Aren’t you a bit old for dolls?”

 


End file.
